There’s been a lot of concern, expressed in this column more than once, about children not spending enough time in nature. Research has shown that a typical child spends 38 hours per week consuming media outside of school. Interviews with children up to age 9 revealed their attitudes toward natural elements, such as rain, wildflowers, birds and trees, showed fear, rather than appreciation, caring or enjoyment.

There’s been a lot of concern, expressed in this column more than once, about children not spending enough time in nature. Research has shown that a typical child spends 38 hours per week consuming media outside of school. Interviews with children up to age 9 revealed their attitudes toward natural elements, such as rain, wildflowers, birds and trees, showed fear, rather than appreciation, caring or enjoyment.

Some of you readers may know that I have a second vocation, other than being a journalist. I'm also a musician. I've been playing music professionally for more than 30 years, first as a drummer/vocalist in a number of blues and rock bands and more recently as a solo blues/folk performer.

Millard Fillmore, the 13th president of the United States in the mid-1800s, wasn’t an extremely strong president, according to historians, but no one is going to demand that Fillmore County change its name.

While much has been written and broadcasted about the positive aspects of the recent 5-4 Supreme Court vote allowing same-sex marriage, a letter to the editor penned by Nathan Davidson of Grand Meadow that appeared last week in the Bluff Country Reader put a different spin on this historic event. Being a “middle of the road” type person, I enjoyed reading Nathan’s perspective on this very controversial issue and feel this side needs to be addressed as well.

Several years ago, a student approached me about starting a regular column featuring the poetry of high school students in one of our newspapers. She was a bit surprised I said yes, because her mother had warned her that she would probably be met with rejection.

This Friday evening the planning, organizing, and fund-raising of many dedicated persons will come to fruition in Chatfield when the Relay For Life of Fillmore County takes place. As I write this column, a full 10 days before the nightlong event, nearly $100,000 has been raised by 295 persons, who make up 28 teams.

A Confederate flag flown on the back of the Hartland Fire Department truck during a weekend parade in Albert Lea has sparked significant backlash against the display. The large Confederate flag and an equal sized American flag each dominated one side of the back of the truck during the Independence Day weekend parade held Friday.

Earlier this month I had an opportunity to listen to a speech that State Sen. Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) made during a breakfast luncheon. The second-term legislator reviewed the bills that came out of the recently completed legislative session. He also provided his thoughts on where our state was going and issues that need to be addressed in upcoming sessions.

By now I’m sure just about everyone has heard or read about Rachel Dolezal, the head of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP, who resigned in shame because she had posed as a black woman even though she is biologically white.

I recently talked with the Twins’ organ player, Sue Nelson, and she gave me some positive feedback on her colleague, the Twins’ DJ, Tim Miller. Then she told me how he frequently “nudges” her over her headphones when she is visiting with fans, and she misses her cue to play her music. Sue Nelson plays her warm, traditional, baseball organ music from the Two Gingers Pub, located on the third level, right behind home plate. That is the perfect place for Sue to play, where her many friends and fans can visit her during the game. And every game she makes new friends and gets some new fans. She sits perched on her bench, overlooking Target Field; filled with enthusiasm — and oh so bubbly — she can talk about anything, and she wears the happiest smile at the ballpark.

Interstate 90 is the main east-west thoroughfare through southern Minnesota. The four-lane highway has a speed limit of 70 miles per hour to get people to where they want to go in the quickest time. The only real bends in the road are two large curves to edge up closer to Rochester near the airport. The aim of interstates is to get near larger cities to make it more efficient for the greatest number of people, although they also tend to avoid the heart of cities to avoid wasting valuable travel time for people passing by the cities.

Even though the Twins started out slowly, and they have had a recent slump, they are doing well overall and having fun – something that didn’t happen much in the past few years. I love Ron Gardenhire, but I know that Gardy and his staff were burned out. The new coaches are great, and brought a fresh new look to a clubhouse that had grown stale. I like Paul Molitor. He is a friend and a great manager, but I don’t consider him the life of the party.

I thought of that old folk song recorded more than 50 years ago by Peter, Paul and Mary, while driving along one of Fillmore County’s scenic byways. Only instead of flowers, I was singing, “Where have all the trees gone?”

If you have already read the story elsewhere in this newspaper about the sale of this company, you realize I now have an exit strategy. It appears much more predictable than my entry into the newspaper business, although one thing I have learned over the years is that nothing is entirely predictable.